ALC 
pable, by tlie shortness of its wings, of 
mounting higher. Birds of this species are 
said not to be numerous ; they seldom ap- 
pear on the coasts of Norway. They are 
met with near Newfoundland and Iceland. 
They do not resort annually to the Ferroe 
islands, and they rarely descend more to the 
south in the European seas. They feed on 
the cyclop terus and such fish, and on the 
rose-root and other plants. The skins are 
used by the Esquimaux for garments. These 
birds live in flocks at sea, and never ap- 
proach the land except in very severe cold ; 
and in this case they are so numerous, that 
they cover the water like a thick dark fog. 
The Greenlanders drive them on the coast, 
and catch them with the hand, as they can 
neither run nor fly. At the mouth of the 
Ball river they afford subsistence to the 
inhabitants in the months of February and 
March, and their down serves to line w inter 
garments. Plate II. Aves, fig. 2. 
A. psittacula, or perroquet auk of Pennant 
and Latham, is found in the sea that lies be- 
tween the northern parts of Asia and Ame- 
rica, sometimes by day in flocks swimming 
on the water, though not very far from land, 
unless driven out by storms, and in the night 
harbouring in the crevices of rocks. About 
the middle of June they lay upon the rocks 
or sand a single egg, about the size of that of 
a hen, and of a dirty white or yellowish co- 
lour, spotted with brown, which is esteemed 
good. These birds, like others of the same 
class, are stupid, and are mostly taken by 
the natives, who place themselves in the 
evening among the rocks, dressed in gar- 
ments of fur with large open sleeves, into 
which the birds fly for shelter as the night 
comes on, and thus they become an easy 
prey. They sometimes at sea mistake a 
ship for a roosting place, and thus warn 
navigators of their being near the land at 
the access of night, or on the approach of 
storms. 
A. cirrhata, tufted auk of Pennant and 
Latham, is entirely black, nearly 18 inches 
long ; swimming about for whole days in 
the sea, where it dives well, and occa- 
sionally flies swiftly, but never departing far 
from the rocks and islands ; and feeding on 
shrimps, crabs, and other shell-fish, which it 
forces from the rocks with its strong bill ; in 
the night it comes to shore, burrows about 
a yard deep under ground, and makes a nest 
with feathers and sea-weed, in which it 
lodges with its mate, being monogamous. 
It lays one egg in May or June, which is fit 
jo be eaten and used for food, but the flesh 
ALC 
of the bird is hard and insipid. This species 
inhabits the shores of Kamtschatka, the 
Kurile islands, and those that lie between 
Kamtschatka arid America. 
A. arctica, or puffin, found on the coasts of 
England ; and particularly in Priestholm 
isle, where they are seen in flocks almost 
innumerable. They come in the beginning 
of April, and depart in August. Fig. 3. 
ALCEA, hollyhock, in botany, a genus of 
the Monadelphia Polyandria class of plants, 
the calyx of which is a double perianthium ; 
the exterior one, which is permanent, con- 
sists of a single patent leaf, divided into six 
segments; the interior is also permanent, 
and consists of a single leaf divided into five 
segments : the corolla consists of five very 
large patent and emarginated petals, grow- 
ing together at the base : the fruit is com- 
posed of numerous capsules, each containing 
a single compressed kidney-shaped seed. 
There are five species. The hollyhock 
grows wild in the country of Nice. The 
colour of the flowers is accidental, and the 
double flowers are only varieties proceeding 
from culture. These varieties are not con- 
stant; but the greatest number of plants, 
produced from seeds carefully saved from 
the most double flowers, will arise nearly 
the same with the plants from which they 
are taken, provided they are kept separate 
from single or bad coloured flowers. The 
A. rosea grows naturally in China : a dwarf 
sort, with beautiful double variegated flowers, 
has been some years in great esteem under 
the name of the Chinese hollyhock. Holly- 
hocks are propagated from seeds, sown half 
an inch deep in a bed of light earth, about 
the middle of April. When the plants have 
put out six or eight leaves, they are to be 
transplanted into nursery beds, and in Octo- 
ber they are to be removed to the situation 
where they are to remain. 
ALCEDO, kingsfisher, in ornithology, a 
genus of the order of Pic®. The characters 
are, that the bill is three-sided, thick, 
straight, long, and pointed; the tongue is 
fleshy, very short, flat, and sharp, and the 
feet are for the most part gressory. There 
are 41 species. These birds are dispersed 
over the whole globe ; inhabiting chiefly the 
water, and living upon fish, which they catch 
with surprising alertness, and swallow whole, 
rejecting afterwards the undigested parts; 
though their wings are short, they fly swiftly ; 
their prevailing colour is sky blue ; their 
nostrils are small, and generally covered. 
A. ispida, ispida of Gesner, Ray, European 
kingsfisher of Pennant, and common kings. 
